Charcoal extinguisher and storage device



Elite States Patent Inventor Arvo A. Haapanen 6601 Trudy Way, Sacramento, California 95831 Appl No. 745,799

Filed July 18, 1968 Patented Oct. 13, 1970 CHARCOAL EXTINGUISHER AND STORAGE DEVICE 10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 126/25; 126/283 Int. Cl A47] 37/00. F24b 3/00 Field of Search 126/25,

25(C), 283; l l0/1(F) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 442,382 12/1890 Lyth 126/283 3.168062 2/1965 Arnold 126/25(C)UX 3,175,549 3/1965 Bergsten 126/25 3,209,712 10/1965 Arena ll0/1(F)UX Primary ExaminerCharles J. Myhre AnorneyAlexander B. Blair ABSTRACT: A combination charcoal extinguisher and storage device including a semicylindrical receptacle having closed ends, carrying handles therefor, and an interior normally horizontal partition. An access opening having a closure is provided to permit the upper portion of the device including the horizontal partition to be used as a charcoal storage receptacle.

Patented Oct. 13, 1970 3,533,393

FIG. I. 3 48 3 Q 76 Arvo A. HO D U I U BY ATTORNEY CHARCOAL EXTINGIJISIIER AND STORAGE DEVICE This invention relates to a combination charcoal extinguisher and storage device for use with barbeque pits of the portable or stationary type, and more particularly to a snuffer providing a closed receptacle into which may be placed charcoal or the like prior to use.

In the past few decades the art of outdoor cooking has become quite popular with suburban home owners such that today it is an unusual suburban family that does not own a portable or stationary barbeque pit. Charcoal, either in the form of briquets or charred chunks, IS customarily used as a fuel and is conventionally purchased at retail outlets in paper sacks holding various quantities thereof.

One difficulty with outdoor cooking lies in the extinguishing of charcoal embers remaining after the cooking operation is complete, extinguishment usually being effected by allowing the embers to burn out. Other means of extinguishment often used is the dousing of glowing embers with water or other liquid fire suppressant materials. Allowing glowing embers to burn out creates some fire hazards, particularly in windy areas having dry foliage. Dousing glowing embers with water or other liquid fire suppressants ordinarily creates an unsightly condition not easily cleaned up.

One disadvantage of using charcoal from paper containers is that these containers may not be stored out of doors since precipitation will usually substantially disintegrate the container and render the charcoal difficult to ignite. Because waterproof containers are generally rather expensive and since only a portion of the charcoal residing in a container is used during a cooking operation, charcoal is generally not vended in waterproof containers.

An object of the instant invention is to provide a charcoal extinguishing device that puts out a charcoal fire by cutting off the supply of combustion supporting air thereto.

Another object of this invention is to provide a charcoal extinguishing device which operates to snuff out a bed of glowing charcoal embers.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a charcoal snuffer providing a closed receptacle into which may be placed a charge of charcoal for storage purposes.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide a combination charcoal extinguisher and storage device for charcoal or the like which is inexpensive to construct. which has a long useful life and which requires no maintenance.

A further object of the instant invention is to provide a combination charcoal snuffer and storage device in various contigurations for use with variously shaped barbeque pits.

Otherobjects and advantages of the instant invention reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction and operation, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein there are shown preferred embodiments of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is a side elevational view of one form of the charcoal extinguisher and storage device of the instant invention positioned in an elongated barbeque pit depicted in dotted lines;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the combination charcoal snuffer and storage device of FIG. I and its associated barbeque pit;

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross sectional view of the combination charcoal snuffer and storage device of FIG. 1 taken along line 3-3 thereof and viewing in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of another form of combination charcoal snuffer and storage device positioned on a circular barbeque pit depicted in dotted lines; and

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the combination char coal snuffer and storage device of FIG. 1, certain parts being broken away for clarity of illustration.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein like reference characters designate like elements throughout the several views thereof, and particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive, there is shown generally at one form of charcoal snuffer and storage device of the instant invention positioned in fire snuffing relation to a bed ofglowing embers 12 on a fire bed 14 of a rectangular barbeque pit shown generally at 16. Barbeque pit 16 includes front and rear walls 18, 20 and side walls 22, 24 into which a metal grating maybe temporarily secured for the reception of food to be cooked. Barbeque pit 16 also includes a plurality ofsupporting legs 26 which maybe equipped with wheels or the like for mobility.

Snufl'er I0 includes a top wall 28 arranged in the configuration of a dome or half cylinder and has secured to the lower edges thereof a pair of generally vertical straight parallel snuffer walls 30, 32v Closing the rear of top wall 28 and snuffer walls 30, 32 is a rear wall 34 secured thereto as by welding or the like. A front snuffer wall 36 is secured between parallel snuffer walls 30, 32 and mounts a hinge 38 on the upper edge thereof for movably mounting a closure 40 having a securement means 42, which may be anupwardly biased spring or the like, releasably attaching closure 40 to top wall 28. Closure 40 is also equipped with a grasping means 44, VI hich is illustrated as a knob or protuberance, but which may be a small aperture or the like, by which closure 40 may be pivotally opened.

Secured to the apex of top wall 28 is a handle shown generally at 46 including a generally U-shaped grasping means 48 secured to top wall 28 by a plurality of rivets or the like 50. Since snuffer I0 is a relatively large device because of the size of barbeque pit 16, an additional handle shown generally at 52 may be provided on the side of top. wall 28. Handle 52 includes a U-shaped grasping portion 54 secured to the side of top wall 28 by rivets or the like 56. It will be seen that an individual may grasp handle 46 with one hand and handle 52 with another to conveniently manipulate and position snuffer 10.

The construction of snuffer I0 is completed by a partition wall 58 being secured at the upper end of snuffer walls 30, 32 aligned with hinge 38 and extending throughout the extent of snuffer 10. It will thus be seen that top wall 28 and partition 58 provide a closed receptacle or storage area for charcoal 60 or the like to which access may be effected through pivoted closure 40. It is also seen that partition wall 58, in conjunction with front snuffer wall 36, parallel snuffer walls 30, 32 and the lower portion of rear wall 34 create a snuffing area for the extinguishment of glowing embers 12.

It should be noted that a distinct advantage of the domeshaped nature of top wall 28 resides in its ability to shed precipitation thus ensuring substantially moisture free charcoal 60 within the charcoal storage area. Accordingly, snuffer l0 and barbeque pit 16 may be located out of doors even when charcoal is stored within the receptacle area.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5 inclusive, there is shown generally at another form of combination charcoal extinguisher and storage device positioned on a bottom wall 72 of a barbeque pit designated generally at 74. Barbeque pit 74 includes circular bottom wall 72 and a plurality of legs 76 secured thereto on which may be mounted a plurality of wheels for mobility with an upstanding cylindrical wall 78 fastened about the circumference of wall 72.

Snuffer 70 includes an upstanding cylindrical wall 80 of lesser diameter than wall 78 of barbeque pit 74 and a top wall 82 which describes a major segment of the circle defined by the upper edge of cylindrical wall 80. Completing the covering of the upper edge of cylindrical wall 80 is a movably mounted top or lid 84 affixed to top wall 82 by a hinge or the like 86. Lid 84 is equipped with a grasping means, such as small aperture 88 but which may be a knob or protuberance, and an outwardly biased spring member 90 for effecting a temporary securement with cylindrical wall 80.

Secured to top wall 82 is a grasping means shown generally at 92 including a U-shaped handle portion 94 secured to top wall 92 by rivets or the like 96. It will be seen from FIG. 4 that the longitudinal axis of handle 94 perpendicularly intersects the line of hinge 86 thus allowing for the convenient tipping of snuffer 70 to. dispense charcoal from within a storage area as more fully explained hereinafter.

A storage area shown generally at 98 is provided within snuffer 70 and is formed by a circular partition wall 100 secured to cylindrical wall 80 intermediate the length thereof with a plurality of charcoal chunks or briquets 102 being positioned in storage area 98.

It will be seen that either of snuffers 10, 70 will extinguish a charcoal fire by placing the open lower edge of the snuffers over a bed of glowing embers thus cutting off the supply of oxygen thereto. The storage areas of each of snuffers 10, 70 may readily receive a charge of unused charcoal through doors 40, 84 as previously mentioned Such charcoal may remain within the storage areas while a bed of glowing embers is being extinguished since there is no possibility of the stored charcoal igniting because of the limited air supply within each of the storage areas. It will also be seen that a suitable quantity of charcoal may readily be removed from either of snuffers 10, 70 by opening closures 40, 84 and either tilting snuffers 10, 70 to gravitationally discharge a suitable quantity thereof, or by removing it with tongs or the like.

it will be noted that the provision of a charcoal snuffer and a storage device in one compact unit necessarily leads to the greater enjoyment of outdoor cooking since all equipment may be stored out of doors obviating the difficulty of exposing paper bags to the weather. Since barbeque pits generally have a small dimension greater than 18 inches, it is preferred to manufacture snuffers 10, 70 such that they have a minimum short dimension of at least l foot.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved charcoal extinguisher and storage device having all of the advantages of this invention and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of the instant inventive concept, such as by configuring the instant device in the shape of a triangle or sphere, and since many modifications may be made in the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that the foregoing is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim: 1

l. A combination charcoal extinguisher and storage device comprising a closed receptacle having a bottom wall and means providing ingress and egress for said receptacle, a snuffer having at least one wall forming a closed periphery secured to said receptacle depending from adjacent said bottom wall away from said receptacle terminating in edges placed in a substantially. planarsurface and forming an open portion between said edges, and a barbeque pit having a charcoal receiving surface, said device being positioned in fire extinguishing position on said charcoal receiving surface.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said receptacle carries a grasping handle on a side away from said depending wall.

3. A combination charcoal extinguisher and storage device comprising a closed receptacle of a substantially half cylindrical configuration providing an apex and a bottom wall and means providing ingress and egress for said receptacle, and a snuffer having a plurality of substantially planar walls forming a closed periphery secured with said bottom wall extending in a direction away from said receptacle, said planar walls terminating in edges placed in a substantially planar surface and forming an open portion between said edges.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said ingress and egress means includes a hinge mounted on one of said planar walls carrying a closure providing means for temporarily securing said closure to said receptacle.

5. The structure of claim 3 wherein said receptacle includes a grasping handle secured adjacent said apex of said half cylindrical receptacle.

6. The structure of claim 5 including an additional grasping handle secured to said receptacle between said first mentioned grasping handle and said planar walls.

7. The structure of claim 3 including a barbeque pit having a charcoal receiving surface, said device being positioned in fire extinguishing position on said charcoal receiving surface.

8. he structure of claim 7 wherein said planar edges are spaced apart a distance sufficient to permit said snuffer to be used to extinguish a bed of glowing embers.

9. A combination charcoal extinguisher and storage device comprising a closed receptacle of a substantially vertical cylindrical configuration providing a bottom wall and means providing ingress and egress for said receptacle, a snuffer having a cylindrical wall secured with said bottom wall extending in a direction away from said receptacle, said wall terminating in an edge placed in a substantially planar surface and forming an open portion interiorly of said edges, and a barbeque pit having a charcoal receiving surface, said device being positioned in fire extinguishing position on said surface.

10. A combination charcoal extinguisher and storage device comprising a closed receptacle having a bottom wall and means providing ingress and egress for said receptacle, and a snuffer having at least one wall forming a closed periphery secured to said receptacle depending from adjacent said bottom wall away from said receptacle terminating in edges placed in a substantially planar surface and forming an open portion between said edges, said means allowing said receptacle to be slightly tipped to pour out the stored items to an area immediately adjacent said edges. 

